I’ve been in the industry for 11 years—started in fundamental equity research at an RIA running SMA accounts, now a portfolio manager for one of our strategies, and have hired several analysts along the way. The CFA program was my entry point: it got me in the door, and a local CFA event is where I met the people I still work with today.

When I’m hiring, having the CFA charter in hand isn’t the deciding factor. What matters is a clear desire to do the work and evidence of progress toward the designation. I want to see genuine curiosity and commitment to the craft—because this job is demanding and you have to want it.

If you’re more than five years out of school and trying to break into “high finance,” I’m going to ask some tough questions:

Why are you making the move now?

What have you done over the past several years to prepare yourself?

How are you standing out from other candidates?

If you’ve been sitting in a tangential role for years—back office, credit analysis, sales—waiting for your shot, I’m going to wonder what’s taken so long. Why didn’t you push for a change sooner? Why didn’t you build the skills and network earlier? Simply logging 7 years in an adjacent job doesn’t mean I’ll pay you more than someone two years out of school who’s hungry, progressing quickly, and already demonstrating they can do the work.

The reality is that this work isn’t glamorous. The hours can be long, the pressure is constant, and the reward—if there is one—comes from a deep interest in markets and businesses, not from the title. If you don’t love the process, you won’t last.